Oils & fats · Cooking fats

Niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter)

Ethiopian clarified butter slowly simmered with spices; the aromatic cooking fat behind wats, kitfo and lentil stews.

Also called: niter kebbeh, nit'ir qibe, spiced clarified butter, ethiopian spiced butter, tesmi

Around the world: ንጥር ቅቤ, nitir kibe (am) · tesmi (ti)

A kind of ghee

What it is

Butter melted and simmered for a long time with onion, garlic, ginger and spices such as korerima, fenugreek, besobela (sacred basil) and koseret, then strained. The milk solids are removed as with ghee, but the fat keeps a deep, herbal, spiced aroma. It is the default cooking fat of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking outside fasting days.

How it’s used

The fat for doro wat, misir wot and other stews
Warmed with mitmita and poured over raw minced beef for kitfo
Stirred into shiro, gomen and split-pea stews
Spread on bread or mixed into kitcha fitfit

Characteristics

Taste: Rich and buttery with warm spice, a little garlic and a herbal edge.
Aroma: Strongly spiced: cardamom-like korerima, fenugreek and basil.
When cooked: Behaves like ghee: a high smoke point and no milk solids to burn.
Sold as: liquid
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying, Mainly a seasoning
Common in: Ethiopian, Eritrean

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep in a clean, airtight jar in the fridge for several months, or at cool room temperature for a few weeks. Always use a dry spoon.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy: 876 kcal
Protein: 0.28 g
Carbohydrate: 0 g
Fat: 99.48 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sugars: 0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Butter oil, anhydrous (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Ghee — Warm ghee with a crushed cardamom pod, a pinch of fenugreek and a little garlic and ginger, then strain.
Neutral vegetable oil — On fasting days Ethiopian cooks use oil; the dish loses the buttery spice.